The Nick Reiner murder case

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced on September 15 that prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against Nick Reiner, 33, accused of fatally stabbing his parents -- Hollywood director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 70 -- at their Brentwood home on December 14, 2025. Hochman said the decision followed 'a rigorous review' weighing aggravating and mitigating factors, including direct conversations with Nick Reiner's siblings, whose wishes were 'very clear'; he added the trial would not begin in 2026. The maximum punishment Reiner now faces if convicted is life in prison without parole. He was charged with two counts of murder with special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and lying in wait, and has pleaded not guilty; he was arrested the same day his and Michele's bodies were discovered by their daughter Romy, found in the home's master bedroom with what the medical examiner described as 'multiple sharp force injuries.'

Rob Reiner directed films including 'This Is Spinal Tap,' 'The Princess Bride,' 'When Harry Met Sally' and 'Stand By Me'; Michele Singer Reiner was an actress, photographer and producer who founded the photography and production company Reiner Light. As his case has proceeded, Nick Reiner has separately petitioned for access to a roughly $1.5 million trust fund he says has been unlawfully withheld, arguing he needs it to pay for basic necessities and legal defense; attorney Alan Jackson, who previously represented Karen Read, had initially taken the case but ended his representation after anticipated family funding did not materialize, though he said his firm remained open to returning if funding became available.